Jon Horst is here to stay: The Milwaukee Bucks have moved to keep their identity intact
There are a number of reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks’ move to block the Detroit Pistons from interviewing current GM Jon Horst is a good move for the franchise. Some are statistical and others venture into the realm of human spirituality. The biggest reason, however, has to be Horst’s vision of a “whole player” approach to winning and success.
Horst was the 2019 NBA Executive of the Year. That is some high praise. He has loads of experience and is beloved in the Milwaukee community.
The current Bucks GM is known throughout the Milwaukee community as a devoted Christian.
“ I’m thankful for the opportunity. For people to understand that I have a faith. And that my family and I are Christians and that it’s a big part of our life.” (Quote taken from TMJ-4 reporter Lance Allen)
Keeping Horst around because he is a Christian is more than likely not a reason ownership blocked the Piston’s move. But keeping him around because he leads an honorable life, and displays strong leadership certainly would be. Player prayer circles aside, this gm cares about the “whole player”.
Along with tons of experience navigating the current NBA landscape, Horst has been decisive and prudent in keeping what had been a struggling, at times middling franchise, to the promised land of an NBA title. The Bucks have also been to the playoffs every year since Horst has taken over. That is pretty impressive.
Yet, it is the overall tone and philosophy that Horst has helped spearhead and been a big part of that will always be his lasting legacy.
The pro-player tone that has been a part of this resonated through the roster and through everything this franchise does. In a recent interview with The Premier Sports Network, Horst was quoted as saying,
“The health of a person is holistic and it’s from their nutrition, their mental health, their physical health, family and professional structure, their surrounding environment and the resources at their fingertips…
This has been an area that the NBA has invested in for a long time, and I think it has paid a lot of dividends.” Premier Sports Network ed Kai McKechnie
“In Milwaukee, we care a lot about that holistic approach,” Horst affirmed.
“Using the example of a person who has a knee injury, if your solution to help them get back to a high level of performance as soon as possible is just to focus on the injury, in my mind you probably miss.
“If you then look at what the right solution is: The right solution is [to ask]: How is your family dealing with this?; What are the things you were able to do before that you can’t do now and how can we support that and fill that gap?; How are you doing mentally with not performing or playing a certain way as you did before the injury and how can we compensate for that and help you through that while you are injured?…
…I think 20 to 30 years ago if you had a knee injury you would get the operation and you would rehab the knee. Today, I think the world of sports says if you have an injury, we need to control your entire life around that knee, so that when the knee gets healthy you can go back to who you were.”
In Horst, Experience Counts
Milwaukee Bucks GM Jon Horst is currently the 4th longest-tenured GM in the NBA (8 years). He has been in his current role since the 2016-2017 season. Horst started that season, along with current LA Lakers GM Rob Pelinka as young executives looking to make a mark. Both Horst and Pelinka have led their team to NBA Championships; both have been blessed with global NBA stars.
Horst has made a ton of big decisions.
Just navigating the Milwaukee Bucks recent coaching needs this past year would earn Horst accolades in many professional settings. After deciding to move on from Coach Mike Budenholzer, Horst led an extensive search which was rumored to end with a choice between Nick Nurse and Adrian Griffin. Milwaukee ended up with Griffin who, despite plenty of criticism, managed to help the team to a 30-13 record (69%).
After moving on from Griffin, Horst ended up bringing in veteran Doc Rivers. Rivers is 1,113-782 (59%). For Horst, taking a coach who has been a proven winner over a larger sample size meant more than the flashy pizzazz of Adrian Griffin’s offense.
Odds are we will never know if this change truly mattered. But it was this gm’s choice to make!
For this team and for its players, right now, having a full offseason with Rivers at the helm to see how far they can go feels like the best and right move.
If Milwaukee is going to find a way to make it past round one of the NBA playoffs, they will want Horst making the moves. Having your team make the playoffs every year you have been in charge alone is a true accomplishment.
Say what you will; at least this team has a clear vision and path. Blocking Detroit to keep Jon Horst as its guide was the far and away right move. This franchise has decided to keep its identity intact for one more run.
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